“Could this Cunedda inform on you?”
He went still-then nodded miserably. “If he knew I’d informed on him, he would,” he added. “If he didn’t know, I’d probably be all right. My lord, what happened on the road from Condercum?”
I shook my head. “I do not remember. I remember setting out with Arshak, and nothing afterward until my wakening in Pervica’s house-but I am certain I met the lady Aurelia on the road. She is, I think, the head of this conspiracy.”
He blinked at that. He had obviously put her down as this Cunedda’s disciple, a rich and arrogant young noblewoman playing for excitement’s sake with an old and dangerous faith. “You don’t think that Cunedda…?” he began-but trailed off helplessly, as though realizing that Aurelia Bodica was nobody’s disciple.
“She wishes to be a queen,” I said, trying to set all my assembled pieces in order. “Her family is royal, and was long hostile to the Romans. She resents the marriage that was arranged for her and admires her ancestress, the queen of the Iceni for whom she was named. She has great influence with her husband, and has been able to appoint her kinsmen and friends to positions of power-Comittus at least owes his place to her, and there must be others. Comittus will tell you, too, when he sings her praises, that she has influence in the civil administration of the North, which is also in her husband’s hands. She has had the power to create an instrument of war against the Romans, and I do not believe she would create that instrument and set it in the hands of another. She is a proud woman, and hates to be crossed in any way.”
He was shocked silent. We weren’t facing just one or two people near the legate and a handful of druids, but a substantial conspiracy, an unknown large number of people in the army and in places of power throughout the province.
“Have you heard any rumors about what her husband thinks of this?” I asked. It was the crucial question.
Eukairios nodded wearily. “He’s heard the rumors, but doesn’t believe them. He’s not British, of course: he’s an Italian from Mediolanum. Her family is royal, descended from the rulers of two kingdoms: they could have had the citizenship generations ago, but they refused to have anything to do with the Romans until very recently. They say that the legate was proud of himself for winning them over.”
“And recent events have not made him suspicious?”
“My lord, there are hundreds of British tribesmen in the Sixth Legion and thousands in the auxiliaries. Dozens of them might have been able to send that message: anyone with druidical training would have been interested in your people’s method of divination, and you don’t keep it a secret. Why should the legate believe it was his wife?”
“She has been after us,” I answered, sharply.
“And he’s grateful to her, my lord, for helping him with such an irritable and indomitable people. He believes that without her help, he would have had far more trouble with Lord Arshak’s people in Eburacum.”
“She’s won over Arshak and tried Siyavak.”
“My lord, I thought as much. But the legions are not united either. There are factions even inside the Sixth at Eburacum, and I suppose that the legate thought she was winning them to his faction. My lord, Facilis would know more about this. He’s a good man; I’m sure he would help.”
Facilis was a shrewd man. He had guessed enough to let him suspect the lady, even without knowing about these druids, or hearing the hints she made to me and my brother princes. I was not surprised that he’d tackled Eukairios on the subject as well. But there were reasons why I could not accept any help from that quarter.
“So,” I said, ignoring the suggestion, summing up. “Our enemies may be anywhere. We have no evidence that we could bring to a Roman court. Even if I remembered what the lady said on the road, I could only pledge my word against hers and Arshak’s, and my word will not be enough. I am not trusted. Her own servants are unlikely to testify against her. This Cunedda is protected by her, and unlikely to be caught unless you inform on him, which you cannot do. As for you, she would say that you are my slave and will speak as I order you.”
“I can’t give evidence in court anyway,” he said hurriedly, looking sick. “Anything I said would be weighed as testimony, which doesn’t count as much as evidence… and… and I’m not sure I could repeat it, sir, under torture: please don’t ask me to.”
“Torture?” I asked in surprise.
He looked surprised in turn, that I hadn’t realized this. “The testimony of slaves is always taken under torture, sir.”
“Marha!” I exclaimed in disgust. “No. We cannot say anything to the authorities-not yet. We must wait in silence until we have the power to strike in force. Do not repeat what you have just told me to anyone-and particularly not to anyone in my bodyguard.”
He smiled weakly. “I imagine that they wouldn’t take it quietly if they knew the legate’s wife had tried to kill you.”
“They would decide among themselves who would kill the lady,” I told him, flatly and truthfully, “and that man would swear afterward under any torture that I knew nothing about it. They are brave and honorable men, and have sworn to defend me. I would not willingly lose any of them. And they would not understand that the Romans would be outraged and punish all of us, nor that the authorities are accustomed to lies and would believe me guilty anyway, nor that the conspiracy might survive the lady’s loss, and strike back. I believe that the lady Aurelia heads it, but I have no doubt that she is not alone.”
We looked at each other for a moment, and saw that we both understood that we could trust neither the honesty of the authorities nor the discretion of my subordinates. But perhaps I’d found a solution to another problem.
I told Eukairios about Siyavak and his resolve to discover and expose Bodica’s plans. “Do you have friends in Eburacum as well?” I asked.
He looked nervous. “There is a small ekklesia in Eburacum,” he admitted.
“A what?”
“A… an assembly. Of believers. We use the Greek word.”
“Could someone in this assembly write letters for Siyavak, and send them to me secretly? He is a young man and still impulsive, and I am afraid for him if he’s left entirely on his own with this lady-and even if he should discover something, it might cost him his life if he tried to reveal it himself. But I have no way of contacting him which she would be unable to interfere with-and for that matter, I do not completely trust Comittus not to spy for her in Cilurnum. He is her kinsman, and admires her greatly. I need some method of communication which she knows nothing about and cannot tamper with. Your friends could provide that. And I would welcome it very much if they, and your friend here, could continue to tell us what they learn from these ‘contacts.’ ”
He was silent, looking at his hands, his shoulders hunched again.
“Do your fellow cultists perhaps have more sympathy for these druids than for the Roman authorities who persecute you?” I asked.
“No,” he replied at once, but unhappily. “No, we pray for those in authority, and we know perfectly well that in Britain the druids would be far more ruthless with us than the Romans are. It’s true what Valerius Natalis said: no one has bothered the assemblies in Britain very much. No, it’s just… it’s just you’re suggesting we make an alliance with… with…” — a tribe of bloodthirsty barbarians, he meant to say, but didn’t-“an earthly power, and we…” He stopped himself, reconsidering. “But we are a part of the province of Britain, even though most of us aren’t Roman citizens or British tribesmen. If there were an… uprising”-he brought himself to say the word-“in Brigantia, and invasions by the Picts, we would suffer along with everyone else. We’d suffer more, if the druids had a kingdom of their own. I don’t know, my lord. I can’t answer for the Christians in Eburacum. I must pray, and write to them. Then they can answer for themselves.”
“That is fair,” I said. “Write to them. I will try to arrange for us to ride down to Eburacum when this season is ended.” I remembered the other thing he had told me, and added, relishing the old challenge, “If I am still alive.”